Check-raising to induce a reraise.

[dsaxton]

This is a tactic which I've used with a lot of success in certain situations and think it's worth a discussion. Essentially, the idea is that when the board suggests certain very powerful hands, and when you yourself have a well-concealed monster which beats those that the board suggests, oftentimes it can be profitable to check-raise and induce a large reraise from a player who actually has one and is confident in his holdings.

Here is an example from today. A couple players limped in, I was in the small blind with two small connecting cards, called the big blind, and the big blind checked. The flop came up paired, but I flopped an open-ended straight draw. I checked, everyone else checked and on the turn I make the nut straight. I check, the big blind makes a pot-sized bet, it folds to me and I make a minimum raise because I suspect he has a set. He reraises all-in, I call, and win the pot. Granted, I took a risk in assuming that he didn't have a boat, and many cautious players won't be liable to reraise in this situation without one, but many will, and that is what makes the play profitable, I believe.

In another situation, a few players limp in, and it folds around to me in the big blind with 6-7 offsuit and I check. The flop comes 6, 6, 7 with two clubs. It checks around to a player in middle position who bets the pot, it folds to me and I call, suspecting the middle position player is on a flush draw. The turn brings a third club, and so I check to watch what the player does. He makes another pot-sized bet and at this point I'm almost certain he was on a flush draw, and I raise, representing a set. He reraises all-in, I call, and he shows A-x of clubs.

Basically, in both situations the idea was that the board suggested the possibility of strength from my opponent, and so I check-raise, which shows a strong commitment to the hand, to induce my opponent to come over the top with a powerful second best hand.

[richardwe]

why dont reraise him on the river if you are sure he "only" has a flush?

[dsaxton]

why dont reraise him on the river if you are sure he "only" has a flush?

What? He was all-in by the turn if you read the post.

[jmontis]

get him pot committed and it doesn't matter what you do, he's going to call.

Some of the biggest pots i've won have been check/called until i'm in a position to reraise all-in. You should only check/call though when you are very sure he's going to make a big bet.

[dsaxton]

get him pot committed and it doesn't matter what you do, he's going to call.

Some of the biggest pots i've won have been check/called until i'm in a position to reraise all-in. You should only check/call though when you are very sure he's going to make a big bet.

What reason is there to assume he's just going to pot commit himself through his own betting? A good player is going to sense a slow-play and slow down when you're just sitting back passively calling huge bets anyways.